1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is broadly concerned with nasal puff devices particularly designed to be comfortable for the wearer and to thereby facilitate treatment of breathing disorders such as sleep apnea, ventilation difficulties or anesthetic gas administration (e.g., nitrous oxide). More particularly, it is concerned with such a nasal puff device which preferably includes a plenum chamber adapted to be coupled to a source of gas such as oxygen or air, together with a pair of gas delivery elements coupled with the plenum chamber and configured for insertion into the nares of a patient; very advantageously, the nares elements include means for selective alteration of the effective position thereof individually, for permitting custom fitting of the elements with respect to the nares of different patients.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, the condition of obstructive sleep apnea has been recognized as a serious one requiring therapeutic intervention. Those suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (most commonly obese males or obese females after menopause) may experience as many as six hundred apneaic events per night, each of which may last on the order of ten seconds or more. In each of these occurrences, there is essentially no air movement for a significant period and the patient is technically suffocating. As a consequence, the oxygen level in the blood drops, thereby inducing a high level of consciousness in the sufferer who then rouses and begins to breathe normally again. However, repeated occurrences of these apneaic events causes a definite lack of restful sleep and, by virtue of depleted oxygen levels in the blood, can lead to heart problems as well.
It has been proposed in the past to treat sleep apnea by means of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). This system involves applying a constant gas pressure, typically with air, through the nasal passages of the patient, so as to prevent negative pressure conditions within the thorax and to allow air to continuous flow through the upper air passageways. CPAP therapy has been in use for the last several years, and it is estimated that approximately five thousand patients are now being treated using this technique. Generally speaking, CPAP treatment involves placing a mask over the nose of the patient by means of a harness or other form of headgear, and coupling the mask to a source of positive, low pressure air. However, conventional masks used in this context are relatively cumbersome and noisy due to air leaks. Indeed, the problems associated with wearing a conventional mask during periods of attempted sleep are so formidable that many patients forego the therapy for this reason alone.
There is therefore a decided need in the art for a respiratory-assist device which can be comfortably worn by a patient during relatively long periods of rest and sleep, without the attendant problems of noise, discomfort or improper fit. Such a device would be useful not only in connection with sleep apnea therapy, but also in other types of respiratory therapy as well.